National Races – Vlad Sabauhttp://vladsabau.ro
Official websiteWed, 09 Jan 2019 09:14:09 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3Lunca Timisului CX – code orange weather warninghttp://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/lunca-timisului-cx-code-orange-weather-warning/
http://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/lunca-timisului-cx-code-orange-weather-warning/#respondThu, 20 Dec 2018 06:06:43 +0000http://vladsabau.ro/?p=2150I think that someone heard the prayers of the organizers and gave them all the snow for the next 5 seasons during this race. Well, let me start with the beginning of what was the hardest road trip to a race and back + the worst race (like ever). Last Saturday was the last race […]

]]>I think that someone heard the prayers of the organizers and gave them all the snow for the next 5 seasons during this race.

Well, let me start with the beginning of what was the hardest road trip to a race and back + the worst race (like ever). Last Saturday was the last race of the year and of the Cyclocross Nation League. I couldn’t loose my 3rd overall spot and had minimum chances to get into 2nd. The reasons I went to Timisoara even though it was a code orange of weather warning (heavy snowfall and snow storm) was to get my podium picture and the prize (that didn’t even payed for all the trips to this series races). Because most of the races didn’t had any kind of prizes !

Anyway I went with Georgian, the “partner in crime” for most of this year CX events and at 6AM started a long, slippery travel to Timisoara. The short highways sections were white and tricky. We arrived there after a 5 1/2h trip (which normally is a 4h trip) but we had to leave the car about 1.5 km away from the start because the snow was about 30-35 cm deep. I had second thoughts about not racing because after the course check I’ve noticed that we were forced to run about 75% of the track. And where we were able to ride the bikes it was on a 15-20cm wide beaten path.

As far as I remember I knew that 90% of the course should be ridable and it should be at least 3m wide… I’ve started the race but it was a struggle from the very beginning. So I tried to keep as much as possible on the bike even if I couldn’t too much. It was the first time this season when I got lapped, but to be honest I wasn’t sad at all. Because it’s not normal to run so much in a CX race, no matter what others could say. I have a lot of respect for race organizers but sometimes, especially when you know about the forecast about 3 days before the weather either you take measures to clean the track, to simplify it or if that’s not possible, to postpone the race. Simply because you can not fight against mother nature. If you don’t know how bad it was, the race was on Saturday, then schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday.

I’ll go again to race at Timisoara with my heart open, but when we will have this kind of weather I promise that I won’t take my ass out for any race. 13h on the road (instead of 8) for a 1h race simply isn’t worth it, sorry.

As expected I’ve finished 3rd overall in the Cyclocross Nation League, as this was the last even of the series. This weekend is the CX National Championship in Bucharest, but as I previously told you, this was the last race of the year. I need some days to stay with my family, to rest and prepare the next year resolutions.

Many thanks to everyone for this season. It was the hardest season in years and I hope that the following one will be better. I am grateful to be healthy, to have my family around and that I can still continue my charity project to help others and honor my mother.

]]>http://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/lunca-timisului-cx-code-orange-weather-warning/feed/0Mures CX Cuphttp://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/mures-cx-cup/
http://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/mures-cx-cup/#respondWed, 12 Dec 2018 13:09:12 +0000http://vladsabau.ro/?p=2145In 2003 at Targu Mures I had my very first race as Junior Elite. In the past years they had different kind of event but I’ve kinda missed that place. This year their CX race was part of the Cyclocross Nation League and Romanian CX Cup. Despite the bad forecast I’ve decided to go and […]

]]>In 2003 at Targu Mures I had my very first race as Junior Elite. In the past years they had different kind of event but I’ve kinda missed that place.

This year their CX race was part of the Cyclocross Nation League and Romanian CX Cup. Despite the bad forecast I’ve decided to go and fight for every place. We went there (me, Dorin and Eli) in the morning as Targu Mures is 100km away from Cluj. We’ve discovered a wet, sticky mud course, with some hidden roots and rocks. Overall pretty bumpy and narrow, suitable for mountainbiking not quite cyclocross, but that’s only my opinion.

I have enjoyed the race and I was close to the 2nd place at the Elite race, but in the last lap due to the thick mud, the chain got between the spokes and cassette, loosing about 1 1/2 minutes to get it out. In the end that’s racing and I have to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly. (the ugly part is that I had to do a full service for the bike, changing chain, chainring, a couple of bearings, cable, brake pads, etc)

Overall I was 3rd at Elite (4th including U23) and 2nd overall in the Romanian CX Cup at the end of the series.

I still have the last race of the year this weekend at Timisoara, counting for the Cyclocross Nation League, where now I am standing 3rd overall, having just some little chances to get on 2nd place. We will see how it will go because right now I am too tired. Racing and traveling so much lately had a huge impact in my training and overall feel.

Many thanks for the support especially to my family and sponsors. Much appreciated.

]]>http://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/mures-cx-cup/feed/0Cluj Winter Race – rising from the ashhttp://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/cluj-winter-race-rising-from-the-ash/
http://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/cluj-winter-race-rising-from-the-ash/#respondWed, 05 Dec 2018 20:04:29 +0000http://vladsabau.ro/?p=2133Cluj Winter Race is my very first race project, that started back in 2007 with the help from old friends. 6 years ago it was put on hold because of a long list of reasons. Now, having a lot of ambition and the support from BioRacer, I’ve managed to organize it again. The race was […]

]]>Cluj Winter Race is my very first race project, that started back in 2007 with the help from old friends. 6 years ago it was put on hold because of a long list of reasons.

Now, having a lot of ambition and the support from BioRacer, I’ve managed to organize it again. The race was part of Cyclocross Nation League and Romanian Cyclocross Cup.

But I’ve found out that I am a bit “rusty”. It’s hard to do 90% of everything by yourself, no matter the angle you are watching the situation. And it’s even harder to race when you organize a race. My goal was to start, race and finish the event and so I did. The course was dry, mainly frozen, with barriers, offcamber sections, fast corners, switchbacks and 54 stairs (each lap). Long story short: finished 3rd at Elite (4th Elite+U23 and 8th overall). Nothing impressive but such a big achievement if I look back and think that this is (unfortunately) the only CX race in Cluj.

I hope that this event will bring more people into cycling, especially into cyclocross for the next season. It’s fun and a good training for the MTB season.

Last but not least I would like to thank BioRacer for supporting this event, to my family for understanding all the days I was out preparing the race, to the volunteers that helped before, during and after the event and also to every rider that came to the race. Without any of you this wouldn’t be possible. I have a long list of ideas and things that I can improve for the next year (if we will do it again).

]]>http://vladsabau.ro/2018/12/cluj-winter-race-rising-from-the-ash/feed/0Cupa Castrului CXhttp://vladsabau.ro/2018/11/cupa-castrului-cx/
http://vladsabau.ro/2018/11/cupa-castrului-cx/#respondFri, 30 Nov 2018 06:53:31 +0000http://vladsabau.ro/?p=2125Or what was my worst race of the season. We went to Deva as usual in the race day because it was pretty close to our home. Cold, windy day. After the registration and a good warm up I went to check to course which was pretty hilly, having more ascent that I thought it […]

We went to Deva as usual in the race day because it was pretty close to our home. Cold, windy day.

After the registration and a good warm up I went to check to course which was pretty hilly, having more ascent that I thought it will have, bumpy corners, a deep sand area and a muddy clay zone. I’ve decided on the lines and I thought that everything is gonna be alright. Unfortunately it wasn’t. After the start I’ve lost precious seconds at the sand pit than after a couple of hundred of meters I’ve pushed too hard in a corner and lost the front end crashing pretty bad. My thumb was sore and painful. Afterwards I tried to push harder than I could because I want it to get back in the front but I’ve ended up depleting my batteries in the last lap pushing hard just to do all the laps and finish the race.

I’ve ended 3rd at Elite category, don’t ask how, and I think 6th or 7th overall. Not happy at all about how I rode and not happy with the result either, but it’s a race. Now I am 2nd in the Cyclocross Nation League and 3rd in the Romanian CX Cup.

Now I am focused on organizing the 7th edition of Cluj Winter Race, where my plan is to race too and see how my first CX course design looks.

]]>http://vladsabau.ro/2018/11/cupa-castrului-cx/feed/0November Cross – jump aroundhttp://vladsabau.ro/2018/11/november-cross-jump-around/
http://vladsabau.ro/2018/11/november-cross-jump-around/#respondFri, 16 Nov 2018 11:14:03 +0000http://vladsabau.ro/?p=2108Organizing Cluj Winter Race again, after 6 years is consuming a lot of my time now so I am glad to found the inspiration to write about November Cross. It was organized by Timi Pacurar, from NoMad Team and long story short: it was a great event. To be honest I wouldn’t have visited his […]

]]>Organizing Cluj Winter Race again, after 6 years is consuming a lot of my time now so I am glad to found the inspiration to write about November Cross.

It was organized by Timi Pacurar, from NoMad Team and long story short: it was a great event. To be honest I wouldn’t have visited his village if he didn’t do this race.

Anyway, we’ve arrived there in the morning, cold, foggy morning but after the sun came out it was perfect. A proper CX course. It was a fast race but I couldn’t find my pace on the flat bumpy sections. It’s still better to do this now and find the power for the next season. If you know what I mean. I’ve finished 9th overall and 7th at Elite. Not something to be proud with but we are keep going. I am glad that for the first time, even without specific training I’ve managed to jump the barriers which were pretty big. Only me and another rider cleared them, the rest of the field was running, so I can consider this an achievement.

We will see what the next races will bring.

Anyway, I am waiting you on December 2nd, at Cluj Winter Race. The registrations are open.